


Fall of a Trickster

by Draknowin



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, Joker took the deal, Post-Bad End, so spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 02:10:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20685770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Draknowin/pseuds/Draknowin
Summary: "Promise me one thing. If you think you can't win a fight, don't take the chance. Back out, and keep her safe... understand?"Joker made a deal with a power greater than anything, for one thing - to save his team, the ones he cared about. Everything is normal, and the Phantom Thieves are more successful and loved than anyone thought possible. Only he remembers what happened, and lives with what he did.The team was bound to discover something was wrong when Arsene refused a summoning during a job in Mementos. Now, at the one barrier that the Thieves have never passed, they confront their leader about what is causing that kind of turmoil.Joker made a promise to Sojiro that he intends to keep... whatever it takes.





	Fall of a Trickster

**Author's Note:**

> Something I wrote up at 4 in the morning because Persona is the bane of sleep. Only minor editing, because if I didn't post this now it was never going to happen. I may or may not eventually write other events surround the idea, but for now, this exists on its own. Let me know what you think!

Another train rattles by, throwing warped shadows in Mementos’ red lighting. The fifth one since I’d arrived, I’ve been counting.

_‘Maybe I’m wrong… they trust me, right?’_

Again I catch the knife, tossing it back into the air just to busy my hands and eyes.

_‘Of course they trust me. I’m Joker, after all. Their fearless leader.’_

The humming of the escalator that never stops running. Rattling tracks, humming machinery, a quiet and sinister pulse from the veins around me… any other day, Mementos should be unsettling.

It feels _right _to me, now.

**_‘And that’s the problem, isn’t it? They _shouldn’t _trust you, should they?’_**

“Of _course_ they should!” I snap back, missing the knife. There’s a slash in my glove now, not that I care. “I’m doing this FOR them! What kind of leader lets their team run into _suicide_?!”

He just looks down at me with that unreadable mask of flames, wings flexing behind him. **_‘If you believed that, I wouldn’t be here, asking you.’_**

I give a violent shake of my head, hoping that’ll dispel… him. Me. Arsene. “I _do _believe it… everything I did, it was for them…” I say, but my voice isn’t fooling anyone.

Up goes the knife, I catch it this time. Good, back on form.

** _‘This will only end in pain.’_ **

“…” Catch, grip, throw. “Better alive to feel it, than dead and gone.”

He frowns, and those claws twitch. **_‘Is that so? Better to suffer and accept, than to stand up to the risks?’ _**There’s true disdain now. That isn’t healthy, for a mind to hate itself. **_‘Then you have made your choice.’_**

The familiar blue flames eat him away, but as the mask fades, I hear, **_‘Perhaps she can get through your skull.’_**

The train roars by again, louder – shit, I missed the knife again. A spare glove and no one can tell the difference. Red on red is invisible.

Humming is louder, the escalator straining. Someone _is _coming down… shit. _‘I thought they trusted me…’_

_‘I’ll get through to them… I have to. It’s for their own good, they’ll understand! They have to understand. But I can’t tell them, they’ll never trust me if I do. Bargain, plead, insist… whatever it takes, they can’t find out.’_

My eyes trace the knife’s arc in the air, Mementos’ red light glinting off the blade. The weight of my handgun in my holster. It feels heavier, they both do. **“Whatever it takes…”**

I hear muttering from the entryway, and I catch the knife one last time. A quick adjustment of the mask – it can’t break now – and Joker is back. Push off the pillar, turning to face them. Don’t look them in the eyes, it’s easier that way.

“I suppose I’m not surprised…” Joker tries to put on the right face, but the smirk has no energy. He's not smug, I’m not self-assured this time. I’m right, I know that, but there’s no bravado now.

Skull asks what is going on. Blunt, straight to the point – of course he does.

“It’s not something you guys need to worry about. Just head on back up, alright? I’ll be right behind you.” It won’t work, I know that. I have to try.

Mona insists something’s wrong. They want to help, obviously. I expected nothing else, but they can’t help here.

Wait. They noticed Arsene? That… he never let on what was happening. He did this, then? This is **his fault!**

The smirk fades just a touch, but a few of them notice. Mona. Fox. Queen.

… and of course, _she_ notices.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you guys through.” There it is, the ultimatum. They can’t believe that I’m doing this. _‘I am sorry… this hurts me, too.’ _“Just… turn around and leave. We can keep running jobs here, just… not past this door. I’ll even… I’ll answer whatever I can, but we need to leave first. Promise me you won’t go further, and this can all be over.”

See? I’m being reasonable! It’ll hurt, and ruin your trust in me, but I can handle that if you’re alive!

_She _steps up. No, _Oracle _steps up – better, I can handle that. Joker can handle Oracle. There’s… fear, he thinks. The visor stops them from meeting eyes, and that’s good.

“Joker… no, *&@#... please, let us help! We want to, but… you won’t tell us anything. Won’t tell _me _anything!” The visor goes up and, fuck, she’s… going to cry. “We’re… worried about you, *&@#.”

_‘Whatever it takes.’_

Joker’s smirk vanishes completely.

_‘Whatever it takes.’_

“I’m sorry, Oracle. Everyone.”

** _‘Whatever it takes?’_**

“… but I can’t let you through.” One hand goes to the knife, one goes to the mask. “One last chance, because it’s you. Turn around, please.” ‘_I’m begging you, please. I don’t want to do this, but…’_

The shock on their faces hurts like the Reaper couldn’t fathom, but Joker stands firm. She steps back, and the fear hurts even more. Their hands shakily reach for weapons, but- I don’t see their faces. I can’t see their faces, I can’t look.

“So be it. _Baphomet, Maragidyne!_” _‘Whatever it takes.’_

As the first wave of flames blasts the ground at their feet, and Fox recoils back in pain, and Oracle looks on in horror, I know I’ve already lost.


End file.
